1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-contained, emergency marker. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-contained, emergency marker for attaching to, and selectively ascending from, a scuba diver's buoyancy control device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for diver markers have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,236 to Sims, Jr. teaches an elongated life line reel used by a scuba diver to contain a length of line secured at one end to the reel and at the other end to a float so that at all times the diver's presence is known. As the diver descends the line is unwound or removed from the reel which is secured about his arm or leg by means of a pair of flexible straps respectively attached to the reel by a pair of spring members. The elongated shape of the reel allows the reel to fit securely on the forearm or leg of the diver, contains a long length of line and allows unrestricted movement of the diver in the water. The spring members function is to permit easy attaching of the reel to the arm or leg and will operate to maintain the reel about the arm or leg at the different underwater pressures encountered by the diver.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,203 to Maertens teaches a marker buoy to positively mark positions on a water surface with respect to the bottom. The marker includes a generally hollow body with a line wound around the approximate center thereof with a weight on the end of the line which will cause the marker to rotate when the marker is placed or thrown onto the water surface to cause the line to unwind from the marker. A line stop flange is provided on the marker to stop unwinding of the line when the weight strikes the bottom. This flange comes into effect when water partially fills the marker which will cause the marker to shift from a position of lying on the water surface to being erect within the water. When the marker is in the upright or erect position, the line is engaged by the line stop flange. When the marker is in this erect or upright position, one end will be above the surface of the water and therefore easily visible.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,458 to Church teaches a marker buoy, typically for use by dives, that includes a lighter-than-water flotation component, such as a bladder which can be inflated when the buoy is required to float and deflated when it is not required to float, so that the diver can easily dive with the deflated buoy and inflate it at depth, when required. A reel of line carried by the buoy is arranged to dispense the line therefrom when the tension in the line exceeds a chosen value.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,316 to Rumminger teaches a diver awareness buoy for signaling the presence of scuba divers diving underwater within a general diving area including a base and an inflatable bladder having a main body. The main body has a humanoid configuration including a torso section and a head section simulating the upper body of a scuba diver present in water. The torso section includes torso indicia corresponding to the signal for signaling that a scuba diver is beneath the water surface. A ballast is carried by the inflatable bladder for maintaining the buoy in an upright floating position in water.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,773 B1 to Bourke teaches a dive buoy/dry box assembly comprising a hollow canister-like main float assembly having a hinged latchable air-tight sealing lid, a collapsible marker flat and mast removably attached to the lid, a collapsible staff and ballast weight removably attached to the bottom of the float assembly and a buoy line storage reel detachably mounted surrounding the float assembly in a horizontal plane, the marker flat, mast ballast weight and staff all storable in the float assembly when collapsed.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0140599 A1 to King teaches a scuba diving flag/float assembly that is used to support a GPS antenna on the surface of the water for use by divers in performing underwater navigation. An associated GPS receiver is integrated with a dive flag line take-up mechanism such as a spool or SCUBA diving line reel. The dive flag line and cable interconnecting the GPS receiver to the GPS antenna is integrated within a single assembly, or in an alternate embodiment, braided together forming a single tether. Alternate embodiments include optional sensors such as a flowmeter, compass, tiltmeter, depth gauge and diver techniques to compensate for navigational errors due to a water current pushing a dive flag/float away from a diver. Alternatively, a GPS receiver may be mounted on or in the dive flag/float assembly and navigational information relayed to the diver under the water.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for diver markers have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.